Liberation Day: Nigeria Affected as Trump Announces Reciprocal Tariffs, White House Shares Full List
- President Donald Trump on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, announced he was imposing reciprocal tariffs on dozens of nations, citing what he called years of unfair trade practices
- Legit.ng reports that President Trump announced in the Rose Garden that all foreign countries would face a baseline 10% tariff, but several nations are being hit with steeper tariffs on imports
- Trump stated that those reciprocal tariffs will be calculated by combining the rate of tariffs and nonmonetary barriers such as currency manipulation and then dividing that total in half
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering global issues.
Washington, USA - United States President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs of 50% on all imports from Lesotho.
The imposition is the second highest rate of any country in the world after China.

Source: Getty Images
As reported by BBC, the tiny southern African country has a large trade surplus with the US, mostly from diamonds and textiles, including jeans.
On Wednesday, April 2, Trump announced a minimum rate of 10% on all countries' imports to the US and additional "reciprocal tariffs" for dozens of countries, including 20 in Africa.
The Hill also noted the development.
Other African countries hit with extra tariffs include 47% for Madagascar, 40% for Mauritius, 37% for Botswana and 30% for South Africa.
The imposition of a 10 percent “minimum baseline tariff” on all imports into the US affected Nigeria, with the West African nation facing even higher rates.
The reciprocal rates will become effective at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, April 9. That is in addition to a baseline 10% tariff, which goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, April 5.
'Cheaters taking advantage of US' - Trump says
During Wednesday's announcement at the White House, Trump alleged that the US had been taken advantage of by "cheaters" and had been "pillaged" by foreigners.
Trump said:
"Our taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years, but it is not going to happen anymore."
He added while holding up a chart showing a list of countries that charge higher tariffs on US goods, impose "non-tariff" barriers to US trade, or have otherwise acted in ways US officials feel undermine American economic goals.
"It's our declaration of economic independence," he stated.
The full list of reciprocal tariffs by country from Trump's "Liberation Day" chart can be seen below:
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Source: Facebook
Trump: US sends message to visa holders
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the U.S. Department of State reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring visa holders comply with all U.S. laws and immigration regulations.
The statement emphasised that visa screening does not end once a visa is issued, as the department continuously monitors visa holders to ensure adherence to legal and immigration requirements.
The post warned that non-compliance could result in visa revocation and deportation.
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Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng

Ridwan Adeola (Current Affairs Editor) Ridwan Adeola Yusuf is a content creator with more than nine years of experience, He is also a Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Oyo State (2014). Ridwan previously worked at Africa Check, contributing to fact-checking research works within the organisation. He is an active member of the Academic Excellence Initiative (AEI). In March 2024, Ridwan completed the full Google News Initiative Lab workshop and his effort was recognised with a Certificate of Completion. Email: ridwan.adeola@corp.legit.ng.

Nkem Ikeke (Copy editor) Nkem Ikeke is currently a copy editor who also writes for the politics and current affairs desk on weekends. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2010), and has over 10 years of work experience in the media industry (Reporter, News Agency of Nigeria). Email: n.ikeke@corp.legit.ng